Livonia mom heads annual fundraiser for overseas wells

Jessica Allen will add a personal touch to her annual Walk4Water fundraiser next month in Northville.

The event on Sept. 17 at Three Cedars Farm is held in conjunction with Livonia Church of Christ and Healing Hands International, which promotes Walk4Water activities nationwide. The walks raise money to fund drilling for clean, drinkable water overseas.

Allen, a Livonia resident, started a local arm of the national fundraiser in 2012 with her husband, Terry, and their two boys. This year the event will include a short walk, hayride and bonfire. She’ll also share first-hand knowledge of drilling.

“I have a chance to go to Haiti. I never thought I’d have this chance. When we started this, I said wouldn’t it be cool to be at a well when people get their water? This year I have a chance to go on a trip to Haiti to help drill,” said Allen, who will spend Sept. 1-5 in the Caribbean nation with other Walk4Water coordinators.

“I can’t wait to meet the people. I’m so excited to meet them and be around them and see them experience clean water for the first time.”

She’s not sure exactly what the drilling process demands but plans to roll up her sleeves and pitch in.

“I think we’ll definitely be working. I’ve seen pictures of mud, wet clay, of when they hit water and it’s spraying up,” she said.

Understanding the need

The experience will help Allen raise awareness of the need for clean drinking water overseas, which she says is as important as donating funds for drilling.

“Without awareness, the funds don’t make sense,” he said, in a phone interview. “When you go to a different country, you’re blown away by their needs.”

He said Walk4Water aims to create an awareness that water “makes life flow.” The number, “4” in the title refers to the average number of miles some families walk to find water.

“When you take water out, nothing else works. When you add it, you have restoration of life.”

Maintenance problems

Healing Hands drilled 56 wells in Haiti and plans to complete 100 more this year. Because they are in constant use, many wells also break down. Fair said it’s not uncommon for a well to stop working three months after installation.

“It’s one thing to bring water, it’s another to keep it flowing.”

In addition to drilling and maintaining wells in Haiti, the organization also drills in India, several African nations, Honduras and Nicaragua.

“The walks all look different. We think outside the box and we encourage coordinators to do the same,” Fair said. “Jessica had a passion for it and ran with it.

“We want people to know how blessed we are and how much of a struggle it is in Third World countries to get water every day.”

Choosing water

That notion has fueled Allen’s interest in Walk4Water. When she and her husband were looking for ways to give back and “be a part of something bigger” five years ago, they considered a variety of volunteer projects, including fostering a child.

“We went with water. It is something essential to every day life,” Allen said. She invited her church to participate, and coordinates the fundraiser with Healing Hands.

The event, which was held in Livonia before moving to Northville last year, has raised enough money to drill four wells since 2012. Last year, when cost per well went from $4,800 to $6,000, Walk4Water raised more than $13,000, enough to drill two wells and buy water filters for locations where drilling isn’t possible.

Allen hopes to raise enough money for at least one well this year. The Vacation Bible School at Livonia Church of Christ gave the project a head start by donating $633.

“If you raise awareness and they truly understand, the funds will come,” she said.

The event starts with registration at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Three Cedars Farm, 7897 Six Mile, Northville. The event will start at 6 p.m. Participants can bring drinks, snacks, hot dogs and other foods for the fire, along with roasting sticks. S’mores will be provided.

Register online and receive a free Walk4Water T-shirt at the event. Walkers can create their own fundraising page. Visit hhi.org/walk4water/livonia-mi-2016.